


The Rescue

by Endangered_Slug



Series: September Prompts [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, First Meeting, One Shot, Pretend girlfriend trope, not a prompt-a-thon, those are fun
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-06
Updated: 2015-05-20
Packaged: 2018-02-16 09:37:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2264766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Endangered_Slug/pseuds/Endangered_Slug
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shipperqueen93 prompted: I'd like to prompt Belle pretending to be Golds gf because she saw Zelena(cora/milah etc) hitting on him and noticed how uncomfortable he seemed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm having a not a prompt-a-thon! I'm not celebrating anything (unless you count the super fabulous people who put up with me on Tumblr, which I totally do) I just felt like writing a bit. I've gotten some really fabulous prompts so far. If you feel like joining in, please do!

 Aidan Gold nearly spilled his drink when the tall, leggy blonde slid up out of his blind spot and plopped herself down on the stool next to him.

“Hey, stranger,” she said with a smile too wide and a voice too syrupy to be sincere. 

He cringed away from her overpowering perfume.“Zelena.” 

“What are you doing here all by your lonesome?” she asked as if it wasn't obvious that he was trying to have a drink, by himself, after a difficult week. 

She rubbed her hand, fingers splayed out like a starfish, up his arm and back down again, squeezing his bicep in an attempt to garner his attention. “You look like you could use some company.” 

“Actually, no, I'm fine. You can go.” 

She smiled at him, all large teeth and crazy eyes, “I think I'll stay. It's a public place and the night is young.” 

He resigned himself to either putting up with Zelena hanging on his arm and wallet or calling it a night and going home. The problem was, he figured, that Zelena would try to go home with him and then try and weasel her way inside and then weasel her way into his bed and into his life and the idea was preposterous when he laid it out before him like that, but the facts were plain: she wanted him for some reason. 

He was just contemplating how much damage he could do to himself by climbing out the men's room window when another woman insinuated herself between them and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. 

“Hey there, mister, I'm sorry I'm late,” she said with a kiss pressed to his cheek, nuzzling a spot just in back of his earlobe as if she knew that spot made his toes curl in their socks and his heart stutter in anticipation. 

"My name's Belle,” she whispered in his ear, her warm breath sending a shiver down his spine. She pulled back with a content look on her face, like a cat that expects the canary to just walk into its mouth. "Mmm, you smell delicious." She turned to the other woman, her voice turning chilly without any effort, "Hey there.”

Zelena looked like she's sucked on a particularly bitter lemon. “Who's this?” she asked Gold, her lip curling in distaste.

 He glanced at the woman in question. She was back to smiling at him, looking him straight into his eyes with hers. They were incredibly blue and clear and honest and he forgot what he was doing for a moment until she pinched him on the elbow, reminding him that they had an audience with a lift of her perfectly curved brows.

“This is Belle,” he said, glancing at her once more. “Belle, this is Zelena, who was just leaving.”

“It's a pleasure, Zelena,” The woman, _Belle_ , said with a cool smile. 

Zelena blinked a couple of times and Gold would have felt sorry for her if she hadn't been stalking him for the past month. 

She gave Belle a look filed with such venom that Gold was afraid a brawl would break out. Over _him_ , which was ridiculous. No one fought over him. _Fought_ him, yes. _Over_ him? Never.

He turned to look over his shoulder expecting to find cameras or something to indicate why he suddenly had the undivided attention of two women — it had to be a joke — but there was nothing behind him except the weary masses of Storybrooke doing their best to drink away their week just like him.

The stare down culminated with Zelena backing off and slinking away out of Gold's sight. He gave a sigh of relief when she left but was faced with this newcomer, this Belle, and didn't know what he had to do to get rid of her, too. It would be too much to ask for another woman to fall in his lap to drive off this one and then how would he get rid of _that_ one? And now he was confused. He shook his head slightly in bemusement at himself. Some catch he was.

Belle pulled back and sat down on Zelena's vacant stool. “I'm so sorry to startle you like that, Mr...”

“Gold,” he said, warily. Who doesn't know who he was in this town? Everyone knew him or, at least, knew of him.

“Oh, _you're_ Mr. Gold,” she said, eyeing him up and down with obvious pleasure. “You're not what I expected at all.” 

And there it was. She probably wanted something. 

“Did you want something?” he asked, already tired of the conversation. 

“No. I just thought you needed the help.” 

“I don— Was it that obvious?” He hated the thought that his plight was so blatant, but he was willing to concede that she, that _Belle_ , had helped apparently out of altruistic reasons.

She chuckled. “I can spot a desperate soul when I see one. She was clinging to you like tar squished between your toes.”

He had a moment to visualize what that would look like and cringed.

“Well, I thank you for your rescue... Belle. But she's gone now so you can enjoy your evening now.” He turned back to his scotch, expecting her to vanish just as quickly as she came.

“Can't. She's sitting at the jukebox — don't turn around — watching us. Well, watching _you_.”

“Don't know why,” he mumbled into his glass. 

“Maybe I should scoot closer so she doesn't suspect anything.”

“You really don't have to put yourself out like that—"

Too late, she'd already moved her seat over and wrapped her arm through his, shifting so their sides completely touched.

“There. Now we look more couple-y.”

She was so close that her breath made the ends of his air tremble and he shivered once more from the effect it had on him. Maybe he should quit drinking.

“This is quite unnecessary” he said.

“Oh, I don't mind,” she said with a light squeeze on his arm somehow feeling better than when Zelena did the same thing. Maybe because he felt less like meat and more like a human being when Belle did it. “And it's just for a few moments and then you can be rid of me.”

“Do you do this sort of thing often?”

“Never! But I made a promise that I'd help someone in need someday.” 

“I'm not in _need_.” 

“You looked ready to burst into flames. I can't say that I blame you, she was a bit much.”

He had to chuckle at that and Belle's face lit up. She was beautiful, he realized, once he bothered to look at her. He didn't think it was the bottom of the glass talking either.

"I had a horrible experience once with a man who was all grabby hands and grabby arsed and didn't take no for an answer. Next thing I knew I had a lap full of a redhead named Ariel who flat-out kissed me on the lips. Scared the oaf off permanently.”

Gold was intrigued. “What happened after?”

“We broke up after about three months,” she said with a rueful look. “Turns out, I really prefer men and she prefers women named Erica. But we're still good friends. I'm her maid of honor next month and I couldn't be happier for her.” 

He smiled, genuinely, for the first time in what felt like years. “That's really nice.”

Belle's attention was diverted over his shoulder for a moment. “Oh, wait. Yes. She's leaving. I hope she doesn't go out and flatten your tires or anything stupid like that.” She looked back at him, wrinkling her nose.

He shook his head. “I can handle a few flat tires easily.” He licked his lips quickly. “Thank you. Belle. It was nice to meet you.” 

She beamed at him and caught him breathless. “And you, too! I enjoyed our conversation.”

Funny, he almost believed her.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I've been spamming you the past four days. Super sorry if you're sick of seeing me pop up!
> 
> thegoldenspinner asked (from an I wish you would write_____ meme on tumblr): I wish you would write a (sequel) fic where Belle-who-was-pretending-to-be-his-girlfriend meets Gold again.

He saw her again weeks later while he was checking his work mailbox at the post office. She was walking briskly alongside someone who was tall, dark, handsome, and, worst of all, male. He’d pursed his lips in irritation and turned back to the post office box, closing it with a smack and turning the key with more force than was necessary.

He was being petulant and he knew it. Belle had done him a kind favor one time and he shouldn’t have this visceral reaction seeing her out and about with another man. Even if she had given him her number, he’d never called so why should he care if she…

Was anxiously turning away from the man in question…

He tapped the few bills he’d retrieved against the flat of his palm considering what he was seeing.

Belle seemed to be arguing with the man with her arms wrapped around her herself defensively and the man, big and stupid looking, didn’t like what she had to say. She’d turned away and started to walk off and Gold relaxed enough to know that she was leaving the man on the sidewalk.

It was when the buffoon grabbed Belle by the shoulder and spun her around to face him that Gold took action. He may be small for a man and he may be lame, but he owned this town and he probably owned the building this idiot lived in and if he didn’t, then he would buy it and evict him. If that didn’t deter the man, then he’d resort to his cane.

He walked as fast as his leg would let him, coming up behind them just in time to hear a muttered promise of making her like him when he viciously poked him in the small of his back, just below a kidney causing him to try to curl up backwards. It wasn’t a pretty sight, but it was a nice shriek.

“Ow, man! You’d better watch your—” The man’s threat faded away as he got a good look at his attacker — everyone knew who Mr. Gold was. “Hey, Mr.Gold. Did I get in the way of your cane? I’m sorry.”

“Hey,” he said back, smiling shark-like, making sure he got a very good view of his teeth as he tilted his head to look at him as if he was a bug under a microscope. Then he turned his attention to Belle who was staring at him open-mouthed. “Is this person bothering you?”

She nodded her head just as this man, this oaf, this cretin who was lower than the spit on the shine of Gold’s shoes, said, “She’s with me.”

“I have been telling you for days, Greg, I am not with you,” she said with exasperation. “You keep harassing me and I’m going to get a restraining order.”

“I can expedite that,” Gold said, looking at her and not Greg, because Greg didn’t matter and if he didn’t matter then he may as well not exist did he? No.

Belle blinked then tried not to smile as Greg cursed at them, but not too loudly because Gold was still within a cane’s distance, and took off down the street.

“He’s gone,” she told him since Gold hadn’t bothered to look. “Um… Thank you.”

He shrugged. “Just repaying a debt,” he told her, giving her a toned down version of his shark smile. “If you have any more trouble with him you just let me know and I’ll take care of it.”

“By take care of it do you mean you’ll cut him off at the knees or...”

That got a real smile out of him and he chuckled with her. “I’ll just inform him of the various reasons why continually harassing persons on the street is illegal. He won’t need a wheelchair afterwards. Unless he proves to be as stupid as he looks,” he added with an afterthought.

She bit her bottom lip and looked at the shoe store across the street for a moment before changing the subject to one he didn’t want to talk about. “You never called me,” she said and even though her voice was soft, it sounded like accusations from on high to his ear.

“Ah. Well, I’m not… You’re new to town, Belle—”

She smiled when she realized he remembered her name.

“I’m not…” Damn. What were the words? How could he convey to someone beautiful and kind that she was above him in every way?

“Oh. Okay, I’m sorry,” she said, with a small, disappointed smile that didn’t work at all. “If you’re not interested then I understand.”

“It’s not that I’m not interested, it’s…” He took a deep breath, and ran a hand through his hair, trying to think. Why couldn’t he think? What was wrong with him? “Did you… Did your friend have a nice wedding?”

What?

“It’s next week.”

“Oh.” Well, that went splendidly. Perhaps he could take a walk in the woods and feed himself to a bear. Maybe that would take away some of the humiliation he was feeling.

“I could use a date,” she said, carefully, watching him closely.

“I could... I could…” he stuttered out. What was wrong with him today?

She smiled then — a real smile, a genuinely beautiful, sun-coming-over-the-horizon smile that knocked the breath out of his lungs.

“I would like that,” she told him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot I was updating the story on this site. Sorry!

It was time for the bouquet toss and Gold slunk over to the sidelines to watch, finding a chair and sitting down, stretching out his leg a bit to ease the pain in his ankle. He thought it was a ridiculous tradition, but, by the way a few of the ladies were vying for a good spot on the dance floor, it seemed that some people at least took it very seriously.

This time, there were two bouquets as there were two brides, so at least the competition had twice the chance of catching one.

Belle, helping Ariel with her dress, gave him a bright smile as she fixed the bustling on the train for the fifth time that night. It was a beautiful gown, but it didn’t want to cooperate. Gold feared she’d wasted her money.

Belle, herself looked stunning and he frequently found himself becoming flustered when he looked at her, a quip at the tip of his tongue before fading away into an awkward mumble whenever she turned her blue eyes towards him.

Well. He was infatuated so it was no wonder that his brain stopped working when she was nearby.

Fortunately for his sanity, she was seated at the brides’ table and had duties to perform as maid of honor so he was able to eat his chicken dinner and drink his mediocre wine without spilling. The wedding had been nice and his tablemates - also dates of the bridal party — were nice enough. Belle was the only person he knew at the wedding, which may have been awkward, but he found that, since no one knew him, they were very friendly and forthcoming and he could be friendly back without people looking at him weirdly.

She flitted back to him often, asking him to dance, when she wasn’t busy with Ariel, taking her dessert over to his table and traded forkfuls of cake with him. Gold felt his chest swell uncomfortably just thinking of her and knew that he should probably never see her again socially if he wanted to keep his sanity. She knocked him clear out of his senses and he didn’t know why or how it was because they’d only met twice before. He didn’t know anything about her other than she was beautiful and kind-hearted and that a three days’ acquaintance wasn’t enough time to warrant this tightening of his chest whenever he thought of her.

Maybe it was a heart attack instead of… infatuation.

She dutifully took her place with the unmarried women, giving him a wry smile as Ariel and Ericka turned around and, holding hands, they tossed their bouquets up and over their heads and into the shrieking mass behind them.

Gold, having lost sight of Belle through the crowd, watched the melee of dresses and curls as one bouquet bounced off the tips of the fingers of one person, fumbled by another before an enthusiastic, but poorly coordinated bridesmaid slapped it to the side by accident causing it to bounce off a pillar and fall smack into his lap.

Gold stared at the mass of wilting flowers in his lap before it registered that he was the lucky girl who was next to be married. He registered that everyone was laughing and then, to his surprise, he realized that he was laughing, too, because it was ridiculous. He caught the bouquet and he hadn’t been playing.

He looked up to see what Belle thought of his good fortune when the smile faded from his face and that tightness came back with a vengeance.

Belle had caught the other bouquet.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ashadeofpemberley said: TheRescue!Belle- Apart from Ariel's and Erica's wedding, have you and Gold gone out on any other dates?

He was too sentimental for his own good. Always had been.

Gold felt like a sixteen year-old girl just back from her first date, but that didn’t stop him from plucking the brightest, prettiest flower from the bouquet that had fallen in his lap at the wedding and slipping it between the pages of a heavy law book that was gathering dust on his shelves. He didn’t know what had possessed him to do it, he just knew that he wanted to keep a memento of the very nice evening he’d spent at the wedding of Belle’s friends.

He set the book on a shelf in his study then piled three more books on top to weigh it down. In a week or so he’d change the tissue papers that the flower was sandwiched between and he would continue to do so until it was perfectly preserved and then, well, he had dozens of antique frames lying about. One of them would certainly be right for displaying a pressed blossom.

He eyed his phone not for the first time that evening, wondering if he should call Belle and thank her for the lovely time he’d had.

He was a silly, old fool, pressing flowers and sighing over a woman half his age, but he liked her and, if she was amenable, he wanted to see her again. Tomorrow. Next week.

He looked at the shreds of the bouquet left over on his kitchen counter.

Forever.

He had her number dialed and a date set before he realized what he was about and he spent the remaining two days before he saw her again trying to figure out exactly where he could possibly fit in her life. Belle had seemed interested in him, there was no doubt about that, and a soft fire kindled inside him at the thought of a permanent relationship — a thing he hadn’t contemplated for himself in years.

He took her to the pier. Something simple and casual after their formal first date and he spent two hours in her company falling for her at what would have been an alarming rate if he didn’t welcome it wholeheartedly.

Belle was… Belle was amazing. He couldn’t get enough of her and, what’s more, he wasn’t afraid to show it. There was something about her that told him he was safe with her. He could trust her. He could love her and, given another hour spent in her company, he would have been there already.

He felt the kiss she gave him after he walked her home hours later and he found himself checking in the mirror more than once to make sure that there wasn’t tangible proof of it on his lips. They felt changed. Heavier, fuller, and needing more.

The drive to her apartment was short. Nothing was far away in a tiny town such as this and he was on her doorstep, running a shaking hand through his hair, before he had thought his plan through. Too late to back out now, he’d already quietly knocked on her door and was awaiting his fate with his breath held and a rapidly beating heart.

“Gold,” she said when she opened the door, her eyes wide with surprise and pleasure as she looked at him.  “Is something wrong?”

“No,” he said, stepping forward with the shake of his head, bringing his hands up to cup her face. “I just needed to give you a goodnight kiss.”

Her bright smile encouraged him and, seeing as how she wasn’t pulling away, he brought his lips down to hers, savoring the sweetness he found there. She’d had a glass of wine since she’d been home. White by the taste of it. Strawberries, too.

Her arms twined around him and her hands found themselves buried in his hair, bringing him closer to her, holding him safe and warm and, in the midst of their goodnight kiss, she’d kicked the door behind him, bringing him further into her apartment where they could say goodnight properly.


End file.
